While most polls got the outcome of the presidential election wrong, one prominent analyst called it exactly right.  On Oct. 31, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, told CNBC that the S&P 500’s 2.2% decline from the end of July through the end of October indicated that Trump should win. Historically, a decline in stock prices over those three months has forecast a win for the candidate from the party that is not in the White House. Stovall noted this indicator was correct in seven of the eight past instances, a win rate of more than 87%. Statistically, you… Read More

While most polls got the outcome of the presidential election wrong, one prominent analyst called it exactly right.  On Oct. 31, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, told CNBC that the S&P 500’s 2.2% decline from the end of July through the end of October indicated that Trump should win. Historically, a decline in stock prices over those three months has forecast a win for the candidate from the party that is not in the White House. Stovall noted this indicator was correct in seven of the eight past instances, a win rate of more than 87%. Statistically, you could argue the sample size is too small to be meaningful, but the logic behind the indicator is simple.  A rising stock market reflects a public that is most likely happy with the economy. Because they are generally satisfied with the way things are, they vote for more of the same. On the other hand, a declining stock market reflects pessimism. People are either selling or not buying stocks because they’re worried about the future. When they vote, they want a change. ​This indicator proved to be right once again, and even though we now know Donald Trump will be… Read More

If there is one certainty during a Trump presidency it’s that America’s relationship with its southern neighbor will be changing.  President-elect Trump has not only promised to reassess America’s trade agreements, most of all the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but to also reinforce the nation’s border with Mexico. Read More

There are three primary factors that should come into play whenever choosing a winning stock for a long-term investment.  The shares must be undervalued, they must possess a solid dividend yield, and there must be internal and external catalysts that will push shares higher. #-ad_banner-#I have identified a company that… Read More

May 2016 marked an historic event for individual investors, yet it was largely neglected by Wall Street and the mainstream media.  The new opportunity revolves around an asset class that has meant out-sized returns for the wealthy and has remained off-limits to everyone else. Regulations around access to this investment have also meant limited funding for entrepreneurship in America. Now for the first time since 1933, individual investors have been given the same access to this market, and it could be bigger than the Internet boom of the 1990s. — Recommended Link — Which Stock Indicator Is Most Accurate? Click here for… Read More

May 2016 marked an historic event for individual investors, yet it was largely neglected by Wall Street and the mainstream media.  The new opportunity revolves around an asset class that has meant out-sized returns for the wealthy and has remained off-limits to everyone else. Regulations around access to this investment have also meant limited funding for entrepreneurship in America. Now for the first time since 1933, individual investors have been given the same access to this market, and it could be bigger than the Internet boom of the 1990s. — Recommended Link — Which Stock Indicator Is Most Accurate? Click here for the revealing answer. I’m talking about the concept of investing in companies before they go public on the major stock exchanges — specifically, investing in pre-IPO companies with equity crowdfunding. #-ad_banner-#If this sounds new to you, then pay close attention, because it’s going to change the very idea of investing as you know it. And understanding this new opportunity means looking deeper and knowing where to find the analysis you need to move the odds in your favor. Your Ticket To ‘The Next Big Thing’ Until this year, by law, only the wealthiest among us could invest in “pre-IPO”… Read More

Imagine being arrested for a crime that you haven’t even committed yet. Noted science-fiction author Philip K. Dick wrote about this possibility many years ago. His premise was that predictive analytics and massive computer power would allow law enforcement to predict, and stop, crime before the actual occurrence based on strong probabilities of it occurring.  While Philip K. Dick’s vision of a dystopian future remains a distant possibility, parts of similar technology are actively used in the corporate environment.  #-ad_banner-#Artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and big data are no longer in the realm of science fiction. These high-tech skills, services, and… Read More

Imagine being arrested for a crime that you haven’t even committed yet. Noted science-fiction author Philip K. Dick wrote about this possibility many years ago. His premise was that predictive analytics and massive computer power would allow law enforcement to predict, and stop, crime before the actual occurrence based on strong probabilities of it occurring.  While Philip K. Dick’s vision of a dystopian future remains a distant possibility, parts of similar technology are actively used in the corporate environment.  #-ad_banner-#Artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and big data are no longer in the realm of science fiction. These high-tech skills, services, and products are now a must-have to compete in today’s quantitatively driven corporate environment.  However, these firms remain in their infancy, offering years of upside potential for savvy investors who can choose the right companies in the space now. The leading company in this sector is already up over 18% this year and has just posted strong third quarter results. Even better, its share price has set it up to be an ideal buy candidate. Let’s take a closer look. Nice Ltd (Nasdaq: NICE) is an Israeli-based, $4.2 billion-market cap big data/artificial intelligence company. The shares trade in the United States… Read More

If you want to start an instant argument, find adherents of technical analysis and adherents of fundamental analysis, and then ask them which investing approach is better. The technical analysts will tell you that a close read of a company’s financial statements won’t help you know if a stock represents a timely investment. The fundamental analysts will counter that simply looking at a series of trading charts only tells you where a stock has been, not where it is going. With all due respect, they are both wrong. —Recommended Link— Nail Down A 10%+ Income Stream For Life If… Read More

If you want to start an instant argument, find adherents of technical analysis and adherents of fundamental analysis, and then ask them which investing approach is better. The technical analysts will tell you that a close read of a company’s financial statements won’t help you know if a stock represents a timely investment. The fundamental analysts will counter that simply looking at a series of trading charts only tells you where a stock has been, not where it is going. With all due respect, they are both wrong. —Recommended Link— Nail Down A 10%+ Income Stream For Life If pulling down a yield of 10% a year sounds good — before capital gains — you need to see this. You’ll find stocks paying 15.1%… high-yielding REITs, trusts, partnerships and ETFs. (These cash cows are also posting capital gains as high as +368% for us. I explain that part here.) The real secret to successful investing is the marriage of both approaches. In fact, I’ve singled out a pair of factors — one from each camp — that can be used in tandem to deliver robust gains. It’s an approach that has led me to bag triple-digit gains, often in… Read More

Well, it’s finally over. Tuesday’s election was one for the ages. Few people saw this coming, but Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. Whether Trump was your guy or not, you may be feeling uncertain about how the incoming administration will affect the market and your portfolio. But you may remember something I recently told StreetAuthority readers: “I’ve seen some otherwise-smart people whose opinions I respect say things like ‘If Trump gets elected, the market will crash’ or ‘If Hillary wins, the economy will tank.’ Such talk is nonsense. The reality is that the market… Read More

Well, it’s finally over. Tuesday’s election was one for the ages. Few people saw this coming, but Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. Whether Trump was your guy or not, you may be feeling uncertain about how the incoming administration will affect the market and your portfolio. But you may remember something I recently told StreetAuthority readers: “I’ve seen some otherwise-smart people whose opinions I respect say things like ‘If Trump gets elected, the market will crash’ or ‘If Hillary wins, the economy will tank.’ Such talk is nonsense. The reality is that the market may get volatile around Election Day, yes, but the chances of it crashing are low.” You may also remember that I cited a recent survey by the Wall Street Journal which found that economists project a 60% chance of a recession within the next four years regardless of who is elected.  That still stands today. Frankly, this should concern you more than whether or not your candidate won on Tuesday. Nevertheless, this election does have implications for both the economy and your portfolio.  Our experts recognized this, too, which is why they weighed in on the election and the ensuing… Read More

In one of the strangest weeks for the markets that I can remember, the major indices collapsed during the overnight session on election night, with the S&P 500 plummeting 5% at one point, before staging a huge bullish reversal on Nov. 9. From there, the market just kept going, and… Read More